Bill Jacobs would like to open used electric car outlet along busy village corridor
A used electric vehicle dealership could soon be pulling into Hinsdale.
At Tuesday’s Hinsdale Village Board meeting, trustees heard about a plan to open Current Automotive at 300 E. Ogden Ave., the former home of Bill Jacobs Land Rover, which is affiliated with the prospective business. The Land Rover dealership moved next door to 336 E. Ogden last year, but Bill Jacobs still has control over the old site through its lease.
Kevin Jacobs of the Bill Jacobs Auto Family said Current Automotive already operates a dealership in Naperville.
“It is a pre-owned, high-end electric, plug-in only, used car center,” Jacobs said. “We’re the first people in the country to specialize specifically in pre-owned plug-in electric vehicles.”
The dealership also would conduct car detailing and have a photography studio to support online sales for both dealerships. Bill Jacobs is seeking trustees’ retroactive approval of an access drive between the neighboring properties for ease of movement of vehicles. He said Current Automotive would not generate a lot of visitor traffic.
“It’s not going to be huge volume,” he remarked, saying the sales goal would be around 50 cars a month.
In presenting the request, a major adjustment to the existing exterior appearance and site plan, Trustee Luke Stifflear noted the unusual nature of wanting a drive connecting separate properties.
“However, there is nothing in our code which prohibits this request,” Stifflear stated.
Village President Tom Cauley said he was not opposed to a new, tax revenue-generating business moving into 300 E. Ogden, as long as the site is not simply used as “a parking lot” for Bill Jacobs vehicles, which is prohibited under an existing tax revenue sharing agreement with the village.
“When I heard about this paved road, it sounded to me like this was the precursor to using that property to be a storage facility for Land Rover and Jaguar, and that’s something that would violate (the tax revenue sharing) agreement,” Cauley said. “
“It will not be a storage site by any means,” Jacobs responded, adding that employees of 336 Ogden may be asked to park there when space allows.
Trustees generally seemed supportive of the request and the prospect of another tax revenue-generating business taking over the site.
One resident emailed the board asking that the request be referred to the village’s plan commission for consideration.
Trustees opted to move the matter to the Sept. 15 board meeting for a second read, when residents will have an opportunity to provide any comments or concerns.
